Tag: persecution

Brothers and sisters, as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, I want to draw your attention to the sufferings of His Body, his people, which continue until today. We’ve heard of the killing and persecution of Christians in Iraq, Syria, Libya and most recently Kenya. Many have lost their homes, possessions, livelihoods and loved ones because of the violence of groups like ISIS.

Today, I want to ask two questions: “If Jesus Christ victoriously rose from the dead, why are His people suffering like this?” And “What does our Lord want us to do about it?”

To answer the first question, I want to read from Revelation 12
where the Apostle John writes of the heavenly warfare which comes upon the earth:

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

So we see that one reason why followers of Jesus face persecution is that they have a wrathful and powerful Enemy. Satan knows his time is short and seeks to cause as much harm as possible. His power has been utterly broken because he can no longer condemn followers of Jesus to hell–they are forever completely safe and guaranteed to inherit the Kingdom of God through faith in Jesus. But on earth, the spiritual warfare rages on as John writes in verse 17: “Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

But Jesus Christ has not left his followers without help. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And here we discover a deeper answer to the question of why followers of Jesus experience suffering and persecution: this is what it takes to experience the overwhelming, overcoming Resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

This is what it takes to see the breadth and wonder of the unfailing love of Jesus Christ, which overcomes every obstacle–be it failure, loss, death, persecution, hardship, famine, and every other suffering whether great or small–this is what it takes to experience the power of the love of God in Jesus Christ to turn everything for the good of those who love Him. His love and Resurrection power reverses every evil done to His people and turns it for good so that they become more than conquerors through it. And brothers and sisters, this unfailing love of Christ unleashes us to fulfill God’s mission. Suffering and persecution is what it takes for the gospel to reach the nations.

When Christians bear witness that Christ is risen from the dead accompanied by forgiving enemies, continuing to pray for their persecutors and loving one another to the point of laying down their lives, then the world will know that Jesus Christ was sent by the Father to be the Savior of the world, the Judge of all Creation and the King of the Universe. Suffering and persecution is what it takes to make disciples of every nation and to hasten the return of our Lord.

So brothers and sisters, what shall we do?
First let us suffer with them. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:

But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

We are one Body in Christ.

If our brothers and sisters in the Middle East are hurting, we all hurt with them.

Second, let us love and pray for our enemies.

Third, let us give to help relieve the sufferings of our brothers and sisters.

Thank you and may we all experience the overflowing power of Christ’s resurrection day after day after day until he returns.